KLRU expands the scope and diversity of the arts on television with a special presentation of Homecoming: Kansas City Symphony as part of the PBS Summer Arts Festival. Barnes Collection follows Dr. Albert Barnes’ remarkable rise from Philadelphia’s working-class neighborhood to the top of the modern art world. This unique tale bounces back and forth through time as the late Dr. Barnes travels the world to collect works of art by some of history’s most famous artists — Picasso, Cezanne, Matisse, Renoir and many others. The film digs deep into the intricacies of each painting, offering a rare look at the priceless collection and the new Philadelphia museum that houses it.

Barnes Collection is part of the PSB Summer Arts Festival and each week KLRU will present a local story to accompany the PBS program. Stay tuned after Barnes Collection for a look at Ben Rubin’s installation And That’s the Way It Is. The installation projects an interwoven grid of text from televised news broadcasts, translating the spoken language of televised evening news into written fragments.

The PBS Summer Arts Festival line-up, part of PBS’ ongoing commitment to arts content on-air and online, features films that celebrate the contributions of independent filmmakers including a behind-the-scenes profile of actor/playwright John Leguizamo, a film that chronicles a year in the life of talented teenage Mariachi musicians, a look at priceless museum collections and a concert documentary profiling a world-renowned mezzo-soprano. The Festival explores international arts, including a historic concert by four Cuban music greats and a journey into Islamic art narrated by acclaimed actress Susan Sarandon. Slated to run for seven weeks, an additional program will be announced at a later date.